Colon Hydrotherapy - A Beneficial Treatment to Cleansing and Reshaping the Colon, Exercising the Muscles of the Colon and Hydrating the Body.

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What exactly is a Colon?
The colon or large intestine is at the end of the human digestive tract. It is approximately 5 feet long and 2.5 inches in diameter. The colon’s primary functions are to eliminate waste, conserve water and reabsorb electrolytes and minerals.

Why should I be concerned about my colon?
Our modern lifestyle has caused an increase in congested bowels. The colon/rectal cancer is now the most lethal cancer in the United States. Refined foods, preservatives, plasticizers, pesticides, herbicides, cigarette smoke, alcohol, sugars and antibiotics continuously weaken our digestive and eliminative systems. Add to this list environmental pollution and stress of everyday life and it is easy to see why the population of the modern industrialized world is so full of health problems. When the colon is congested with stagnant waste, dangerous toxins back up in our system and wreak havoc on our tissues and organs. This process of auto-intoxication (literally, “self-poisoning”) can be linked to nearly every illness.

What are the benefits of the colonics?
Many physicians prescribe colon hydrotherapy for variety of conditions (such as constipation, diarrhea, irritable bowel, acne, allergies, atonic (sluggish) or spastic colon, yeast infection, fibromyalgia, joint aches, arthritis - to name just a few). It is beneficial to cleansing and reshaping the colon, exercising the muscles of the colon and hydrating the body. (See More Resources below for additional articles)

What happens during a Colon Hydrotherapy session?          
A session is a comfortable experience for many people. The client lies on a massage table, wearing their upper clothing and special perforated shorts (provided), covered by a towel or a sheet. A small, lubricated, disposable speculum with attached water hose and evacuation tube is inserted into the rectum and is connected to the colonic machine.
The practitioner will use a gentle bathing cycle and then several filling and emptying cycles. A viewing tube displays all of the waste as it leaves the body. Supplementary techniques and therapeutic implants may be used. Regular treatment time is 45 minutes.

What are contraindications for Colon Hydrotherapy?

What is the difference between enema and colon hydrotherapy?
Unlike an enema which cleanses only the sigmoid colon, the lower 8-12 inches of the bowel, colon hydrotherapy cleanses the entire length of colon (all five or five and a half feet of it) This helps to reestablish normal bowel movements by restoring muscle tone and normal peristalsis. When the entire colon is clean, the body is able to better release toxins and assimilate nutrients from foods.

How often should I have colonics?
Colon hydrotherapy can be used for different purposes:
* As a “quick fix” to an urgent problem (e.g. severe constipation or preparation for a colonoscopy or a surgery) Recommended: 1-3 sessions over a 1-2 week period.
* As a long term tool for sustainable change: 8-12 colonics over a 2-6 month period.
* As part of seasonal cleanse/detox for maintenance and optimal well-being (for special packages please see Services)

What should I do to prepare for colon hydrotherapy?
* If you have scheduled your colon hydrotherapy session a few days in advance you may try to prepare yourself by drinking some laxative tea or taking Natural Calm Magnesium supplement at night ( all these available at a health food store). Eating high fiber diet consisting mostly of vegetables and drinking plenty of pure water is also very helpful.
* The night before your visit you might want to make a Castor Oil pack (view recipe).
* The day of the colonic avoid caffeine and do not eat for two hours prior to the session.
* Drink plenty of water on the day of the colonic but not in the last hour before the session as this can create a full bladder and the unnecessary discomfort.

More resources

The articles bellow are intended for educational purposes only.

COLONIC IRRIGATIONS: A REVIEW OF THE HISTORICAL CONTROVERSY AND THE POTENTIAL FOR ADVERSE EFFECTS by Douglas G. Richards, Ph.D., David L. McMillin, M.A.,Eric A. Mein, M.D., and Carl D. Nelson, D.C.

COLONICS by Thomas Dorman, PhD in Exploring Issues of Philosophy and Conscience in Contemporary Health Care August 2000 - Vol. 5, Issue 8

Townsend Letter Article by Morton Walker, DPM; August / September 2000

Enemas and Colonics.Or, With Friends Like This, Who Needs Enemas? by Vic Shayne, PhD

Chinese Manual Lymphatic Drainage

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What is lymphatic system?
Lymph is a clear fluid you might see coming to surface when you accidently nick or scrape skin. In our bodies there is three times as much lymph fluid as blood! The lymphatic system is a network of vessels and organs similar to vascular (blood) system. Within this system there are more than 600 lymph glands and numerous lymphatic vessels which are one-way channels. This vital fluid carries nutrition to the cells and removes acid waste products.

Lymph fluid flows best in an alkaline medium. When the body is more acidic, lymphatic fluid slows, contributing to a long-term life-threatening situation. Acid waste products reach the tissues almost always through lymph and blood toxicity. These heavier acid by-products settle in the endothelial and epithelial tissues of the skin, glands and organs.

Gradually the lymph dries and begins to form adhesions throughout the tissues. Small or large, these adhesions can interfere with the flow of the lymph fluid and blood. It is speculated that many people have these types of blockages, many of which began at an early age. Along the lymphatic vessels, there are structures called lymph nodes, which filter the fluid and carry out numerous immune functions. When lymph nodes become congested, fluid backs up contributing to stagnation. Lymphatic stagnation results in cells having to function while surrounded by their own waste products. This is why the diluting and flushing actions of water are so important. A healthy lymphatic system promotes a healthy immune system, supporting T-cell growth. Seasonal lymphatic drainage prior to cold and flu season provides a natural immune boosting therapy for children and adults of all ages.

What is Lymphatic Drainage?
Lymphatic drainage supports the movement of lymphatic fluid, assisting the delivery of nutrients and the removal of the metabolic waste from the cells of the body. Chinese Manual Lymphatic Drainage (C-MLD) is a slow, gentle technique of moving lymph towards the abdomen. Western medicine has traditionally drained lymphatic fluid into the right lymphatic duct and the thoracic duct, both located in the chest, for return to the blood stream. Chinese medical tradition dictates that all fluid be drained toward the abdomen for faster elimination and accesses both deep and surface lymph nodes, expediting the elimination of toxic lymphatic fluid through the bowels.

Who needs Manual Lymphatic Drainage?
Thousands of years of use in Chinese Medical Tradition have shown C-MLD to support healing in just about any health challenge. Here are some of the benefits:

• C-MLD can remove metabolic wastes, excess water, toxins, bacteria, large protein moleculesand foreign substances such as heavy metals/mercury from the tissues
  
• C-MLD through its gentle rhythmical hand movements, alleviates pain by greatly reducing the pain signals sent to the brain
  
• C-MLD relaxes the sympathetic nervous system, thus helping to relieve stress
  
• C-MLD helps minimize scar formation
• C-MLD helps clear sinus congestion
  

What are contraindications for C-MLD?

• Active Untreated Cancer
  
• Acute Inflammation
  
• Congestive Heart Failure
  
• Thrombosis (blood clots)